The golden years of anyone’s life are meant to be lived in comfort and wonder. Most people if they could choose to live in comfort would instead. However as we age there is often special needs that we require. Assistance isn’t a form of weakness, it is a way to show your strength in acknowledging that we all come across varied limitations as we age.
Thankfully there are a lot of assisted living facilities that allow people to continue their lives in as much comfort as possible. There are many facilities tailored to the different requirements that people have.
Retirement Homes
Retirement homes branch off into several different categories of care facilities. The varying types cater to the varying level of assistance that occupants might require.
Assisted Living Facilities
Assisted living facilities actually provide the lowest level of actual assistance. Everyone has their own apartment or condominium. There are group living spaces that allow people to socialize and to do things like cooking or laundry. There are also organized social activities and transportation services.
Residential Care Facilities
These are the next step up from assisted care facilities. These often cater to people with moderate needs. Kitchen duties are generally gone and the apartments represent that. These are usually individual units but do occasionally have some double units for couples. Most things classified as “chores” will be taken care of by the support staff at the care facility.
Specialty Care Centers
Specialty care centers provide heavy care and additional focus for specific ailments. One of the most common specialty care center is a memory care center. These specialize in those with alzheimer's and dementia. Treatment and supervision is designed specifically for these issues. For example a memory care center will often have a large circular walking path. The idea is that for those with alzheimer’s who tend to wander, they will follow the path repeatedly and not become lost. It’s one minor touch that’s representative of what a specialty care center can provide.
Continuing Care Communities
These facilities are very different and often provide far more when it comes to standard life than the other facilities. Continuing care communities will often have the amenities of an actual community. Spas, stylists, banks, libraries and a pub can often be part of a continuing care community. They are however more costly than a lot of options because of the large amount of features that they provide.
Long Term Care
Long term care is often referred to as a nursing home. These facilities have 24 hour supervision with nursing staff on site. They also offer rehab programs since many of the occupants could be recovering from long term problems. Long term care at nursing homes is not for everyone and is not the same at all of them. Each nursing home provides a certain level of assistance and supervision. It’s smart to start researching nursing homes before they are necessary in order to figure out what kind of support will be best for yourself or your loved ones.
